Inside Lehigh Valley Girls Hoops Week 11

MONDAY 2/5

Bethlehem Catholic 35, Easton 47

Easton has not lost on its home court since February 3^rd, 2020. Bethlehem Catholic had already snapped the Rovers’ 65 game regular season win streak earlier this season, and as the game went on, it was clear Easton was going to protect the home win streak. Bethlehem Catholic got off to a hot start, knocking down four triples in the first quarter—two by Cici Hernandez and two by Ella Bincarosky. The Hawks led 14-12 after one, but then seemed to be a step slow in the second quarter. With Olivia Keckler not playing, it was Lianna Cole who got a start for Easton. The sophomore sister of Evalyse made her start count, notching eight points in the first half and six in the second quarter. She would finish the night with a career high 10. Evalyse Cole was once again defended well by Akasha Santos, but it was the Hawks who only scored four points in the second, while both Elias sisters scored once from range. Bethlehem Catholic flipped the script in the third quarter, holding Easton to just three points, all by Kourin Carew. Heading to the final stanza, Easton led 29-28.

Over the first 2:30 of the fourth quarter, Easton went on a 10-0 run to slam the door. Mallory Elias hit four late free throws and added a 3-pointer to help Easton take control in the final moments.  

Liana Cole on her team’s performance and if she had any nerves: “I was shaking at the beginning of the game but they[nerves] washed off. I think we were more confident at home. We were able to share the ball better than the first game.” On playing with older sister Evalyse: “I absolutely love it.”

Eva Cole on defending home court: “it means a lot. We knew that coming back we would definitely have the home court advantage. We have our fans behind us cheering us on and it meant a lot.” On her sister’s performance: “If we didn’t have her starting, if we didn’t have her on the court, this game would’ve been completely different. She’s definitely gaining confidence, stepping up when we need her, and she showed it tonight.”  

Other notes from Monday

• Parkland tuned up against a Central Catholic team that is back at full strength. Five Trojans combined to score eight times from range, and both Talia Zurinskas and Madi Siggins scored 16 a piece. Isabella Hallal had a strong first half, scoring 10 points. In her second game back, Molly Driscoll led the Vikettes with 15 points and hit three 3-pointers. Abbey Kofroth and Milly Wolf both contributed 10 points.
• Ayla Hashway exploded for 24 points in East Stroudsburg North’s season ending 38-26 victory over Pocono Mountain East. She hit seven free throws, three shots from beyond the arc, and four more times from the field.
• East Stroudsburg South and Pleasant Valley wered tied at 12 at the half before the Cavaliers turned on the jets for a 14-2 third quarter and 41-28 win. Cynindia Gray led the way with 15 points on six 2-pointers. The Cavaliers now prepare for their district semifinal against Bangor.
• Emmaus needed a victory over Whitehall to have a chance to qualify for the EPC tournament. The Hornets took an early lead and hung on for that 44-38 win. Kayla Snyder had 14 points, while eight different Emmaus players scored. Emmaus was 18/24 from the charity stripe, while Whitehall had a tough night taking care of the ball, resulting in numerous first half turnovers. The Zephyrs will now face Bethlehem Catholic in districts, while Emmaus enters the EPC tournament against those same Hawks.
• Nazareth rallied from an eight point deficit in the fourth quarter to force overtime, before ultimately falling to Liberty 48-42 in a single overtime session. In the absence of Ava Kopetskie once again, Anijah Davis stepped up, scoring 12 points, alongside 16 from Ruby Miller. In the loss, Renee Wells and Peyton Long each went for 15, as Renee hit three times from beyond the arc. These two teams will face each other again in the first round of districts.
• Layla Sweatte capped a very strong season with a 19 point output in William Allen’s 40-33 win over Northampton. The second quarter was the difference, where the Canaries outscored the Konkrete Kids 8-2. Kaley Martin added 15 for Allen, while Anne Beenders led Northampton in their final game of the season with 11.
• Pocono Mountain West defeated Stroudsburg 50-47. Stroudsburg was led by Zoe Brown’s 13 points and McKayla Strunk’s 12 points.  Ana’isah Malone scored a game high 15 points and Alyssa Ford had 12 points for Pocono Mountain West. The loss keeps Stroudsburg out of the EPC tournament and secures a top 4 seed for the Panthers in both the EPCs and districts. Stroudsburg will face Easton in round one of districts.  
  

TUESDAY 2/6

Palmerton 50, Northern Lehigh 36

A lot went wrong for Northern Lehigh—and it began before the game ever started. The Bulldogs were without the services of Katelyn Barthold, who was nursing an injury. Additionally, Teegan Simms was playing hurt, and Aubrey Pollard was under the weather. That said, the Blue Bombers still had their hands full. Sydney Frantz got off to a hot start, scoring eight of her ten points in the first quarter, and propelling Palmerton to an early 17-9 lead. That lead stayed consistent throughout, as Hannah Barry added three deep balls and 15 points on the night. Mikayla Pengelly was once again strong off the bench, contributing nine points during the middle frames. Incredibly and despite playing while ill, Aubrey Pollard went for her 16^th double, racking up 15 points and 14 boards. With the win, Palmerton is now off until next Wednesday when they play in the Colonial semifinals at Catasauqua. When asked his thoughts about going unbeaten in conference play, head coach Jeremy Coleman had this to say: “That’s one of the goals we had coming into this season. The girls definitely worked hard for it and deserved it. Our defense is always the best thing. Our defense is solid game in and game out. We knew this was going to be a tough game coming in, but it’s perfect timing for it right before playoffs. We enjoy the challenge and are looking forward to playoffs.”

Other notes from Tuesday

• Pen Argyl blasted by Bangor 55-21 to cap the regular season on a 14 game win streak. Ellie Wallbillich had another outstanding performance, scoring 26 on ten field goals. Four of those were from range. In case there was any doubt in the score, Julia Vargo hit twice from beyond the arc in the third quarter and scored eight of her 14 points. The Green Knights open their Colonial League tournament run at home against Catasauqua.
• With no Carly Campbell and only having Olivia Schweitzer for limited action, Notre Dame Green Pond still tuned up for Colonial League tournament play by defeating Wilson 51-24. Skyler Howlett scored 12 of her 13 right out of the gate in the first quarter, while Emily Lessig had strong middle frames, adding 14. Off the bench, Brenna Hammerstone added 9. Mikaila Brooks led the Bulldogs with 10 points.
• Palisades hung on for a 29-28 win over Saucon Valley. Bri Hunter led all scorers with nine points and scored the only triple of the night for Palisades.
• Allison Bodner and Southern Lehigh closed out their season with a 50-32 victory against Salisbury. Bodner went for a season high 22, hitting four times from downtown. Tessa Seagreaves ended her season with a 12 point output.

WEDNESDAY 2/7

• Executive Education’s strong second quarter led them past Jim Thorpe 54-39. The Raptors outscored the Olympians 23-10 in that quarter behind seven points from Tiana Carey and eight total players scoring. Bryasiah Martin added 10 points on the night, with six of those coming in the first half.
• East Stroudsburg North concluded its season by way of a 63-18 win over Notre Dame East Stroudsburg. Jasmin Romano, Maiya Baptiste, and Ayla Hashway all hit double figures with 14, 13, and 11 respectively. On the night, the Timberwolves knocked down nine 3-pointers and held NDES scoreless in the second and fourth quarters.
• Salisbury faced a nine point halftime deficit on the road at Kutztown, before mounting a comeback and falling just short, 49-46. Kendra Morgan capped her sophomore season with a career high 33 points. Twenty-five of those came during the second half rally, hitting ten shots from the field. Free throw shooting, however, would be the downfall, as Salisbury went 11/24 from the line. Kutztown emerged victorious despite shooting just 16/31 on their free throws.

THURSDAY 2/8

• In their final game of the year, Palisades got by Bethlehem Christian 46-34. Grace Mcardle led all scorers with 11, while Amelia Smith knocked down three 3-pointers for her nine points. In defeat, Abby Wilson hit four shots from beyond the arc, scoring 12 points.

FRIDAY 2/9

EPC Quarterfinals

• Emmaus needed a close victory over Whitehall and a Stroudsburg loss to get into the EPC tournament. They got the help they needed and earend a trip to Bethlehem Catholic, where many figured they would be overpowered by the top seed. That was far from true. The Hornets led from start to finish on the road, upsetting the #1 seed Hawks 52-40. Gabby DeVita started out hot, as she has in most recent games, scoring eight in the first quarter. Taylor Griffith added a triple and five points in the frame. The Hawks did what they typically do and shot several 3-pointers with makes by Akasha Santos, Aliyah Brame, and Ella Bincarosky. Notably absent from the starting lineup and the game was starter Leah Ault, who was unavailable for the game. The hot shooting didn’t continue in the second quarter, but Emmaus made six of eight free throws. They would go on to shoot 19/24 on the night from the charity stripe. With the Hornets leading 23-18 at the break, many around the valley expected Bethlehem Catholic to rally. It was not to be. Taylor Griffith shined in the third quarter, banging home two shots from range and nine points.  Gabby DeVita made the only field goal of the fourth quarter, hitting from downtown, but Emmaus was 11/12 from the charity stripe in the final frame to secure the double digit victory. On the night, Cici Hernandez was limited to seven points.
• Easton pulled away from Central Catholic with a 29-15 second half, on their way to a 56-34 victory and berth in the semifinals at the PPL Center Tuesday night. Evalyse Cole went for 24 points in the game, hitting nine field goals. Kourin Carew added 12, and sophomore Lianna Cole continued her recent surge, scoring nine. In the loss, Molly Driscoll scored 12 and Abbey Kofroth had nine points. The Vikettes will now prepare for Tamaqua in the first round of districts, while Easton will face Parkland Tuesday night.
• Parkland cruised by Nazareth 46-30 at home. Talia Zurinskas scored 13 of her 20 points in the first half, helping the Trojans to an 11 point lead at the break. Delaney Chilcote scored 10 of her team’s 19 points in the second half to help slam the door on the Blue Eagles. Alexa Davis led Nazareth with 11 points, but Sam Baker was limited to just a triple in the fourth quarter, and Renee Wells was held to seven points. Nazareth now prepares for a rematch with Liberty in districts, while Parkland will meet Easton Tuesday night at the PPL Center in the EPC semifinals.
• Liberty, for the second time on the season, defeated Pocono Mountain West on the road, 50-36. Ava Kopetskie scored nine of her 13 points in the second half, making her mark on the game. Jordan Thompson added nine and Iysis Nickens came off the bench to contribute seven. A 14-5 third quarter was the difference in this one. Anai’sah Malone hit 12 points and Alyssa Ford had 10, but only four combined field goals over the second and third quarters doomed the Panthers. PM West now prepares for a first round district game against Emmaus, while Liberty will take on those same Green Hornets at the PPL Center.

SATURDAY 2/10

Colonial League Wildcard Round

Just a week ago, Northern Lehigh upset Northwestern Lehigh on their home court, beating the Tigers for the first time in 13 years and 24 tries. This time a close game remained close throughout, as Northwestern Lehigh pulled out the 51-45 overtime victory, returning things to ‘normal’ in the rivalry. Domination on the glass was key for Northwestern, as they pulled down 23 offensive boards, allowing them to attempt 69 shots from the field.

The Tigers came out aggressive from long range. However, they started the game 0/9 from beyond the arc. Late in the quarter, Aubrey Pollard drove the lane and dished off to Teegan Simms, who knocked down the long ball. This was quickly answered by Cara Thomas to end the quarter. Northern Lehigh led 12-9. They extended the lead to 22-14 in the second quarter, highlighted by a steal off of a deflection and layup by Teegan Simms. Northwestern needed a spark, and they got one from Olivia Reinhart, who worked hard in the paint all night. By halftime, she had eight of her 14 points in the lane and the Tigers closed on an 8-2 run.

Coming out in the third quarter, Northwestern trailed 24-22 and quickly made the mistake of fouling Dekota Barthold on a 3-point shot. However, she only made one. Emma Freeman sank two from deep on the far wing within a minute to counter long shots from Dekota Barthold and Simms. Cara Thomas was left alone at the top of the key and knocked down the easy 3. Aubrey Pollard hit a free throw to make the score 36-35 after three quarters in favor of the Bulldogs.

A Brook Balliet bucket gave the Tigers their first lead of the night with 6:45 to go in regulation. They held a 43-41 lead with 1:20 to play. With 35 seconds left, Simms got a steal and laid it up and in to tie the game at 43. With 6.9 seconds left, Northwestern called a timeout to draw up a play, but was unable to get a shot off, as Thomas got tangled up in the far corner.

Overtime was tight, but Cara Thomas made a key free throw late to give the Tigers a 48-44 lead. Pollard was then fouled in the back court, but she only made one of two, keeping the Tiger lead at 48-45. The Bulldogs were forced to foul and Northwestern closed it on the line for the 51-45 win. They now advance to face Palmerton on Wednesday night at Catasauqua.  

“it’s so exciting. We knew coming into it that records from the season and wins and losses didn’t really matter. We had to show up tonight and play hard. I’m really proud of my teammates. We’ve been working on our rebounding in practice and that’s the main reason they beat us last time, so we just came into the game with that on the forefronts of our mind,” were Cara Thomas’ remarkes following the victory. On Olivia Reinhart: “I’m so proud of her.”

Olivia Reinhart on her night and scoring 14: “I didn’t even know it was that many. It’s amazing. I’m scoring. When they feed me, I love it.”

• Ellie Wallbillich was stymied in the first half against Catasauqua, scoring two points. Her Green Knights trailed 18-13 at the half on their home court after stringing together 14 consecutive wins. The Rough Riders’ lead at the break could have been even more if not for eight free throw misses. Pen Argyl needed a turnaround, and they got one. A 13-4 third quarter drove a 33-18 second half for the Green Knights and they would go on to be victorious 46-36. Wallbillich exploded for 20 points in the second half, while Julia Vargo added 10 on the night and Macy Kotulka had nine. Pen Argyl now prepares for a Wednesday night matchup against Notre Dame Green Pond.

EPC ALL-STARS

Congratulations to the EPC All-Stars:

1^st team: Evalyse Cole(MVP), Cici Hernandez, Madi Siggins, Talia Zurinskas, Layla Sweatte

2^nd team: Sam Baker, Molly Driscoll, Mallory Elias, Anai’sah Malone, Jayla Rosario

3^rd team: Kourin Carew, Megan Elias, Ava Kopetskie, Akasha Santos, Kayla Snyder, McKayla Strunk

Colonial League All-Stars

Congratulations to the Colonial League All-Stars

1st team: Ellie Wallbillich(Player of the Year), Hannah Barry, Hailey Jenkins, Avery Nelson, Aubrey Pollard, Cara Thomas

2nd team: Brook Balliet, Katelyn Barthold, Sophia Becker, Carly Campbell, Sydney Frantz, Olivia Schweitzer

Honorable Mentions: Mikayla Brooks, Emily Lessig, Luna Lopez, Reese Macintosh, Megan Matsko, Kendra Morgan, Julia Pinter, Tessa Seagreaves, Amelia Smith, Julia Vargo

NEXT WEEK:

EPC SEMIFINALS(Tuesday at PPL Center)

Easton v Parkland, 6:00

Emmaus v Liberty, 8:00

SCHUYLKILL LEAGUE SEMIFINALS(Tuesday at Martz Hall)

Tamaqua v North Schuylkill, 6:00

Blue Mountain v Marian Catholic, 7:30

COLONIAL SEMIFINALS(Wednesday at Catasauqua)

Pen Argyl v Notre Dame Green Pond, 6:00

Northwestern Lehigh v Palmerton, 7:30

EPC CHAMPIONSHIP(6:00 Thursday at PPL Center)

COLONIAL CHAMPIONSHIP(6:00 Friday at Catasauqua)

SCHUYLKILL LEAGUE CHAMPIONSHIP(6:00 Friday at Martz Hall)

Catch the weekly SCBL HS Hoops Podcast every week on EasternPASportsNetwork.com, featuring Ed Jennings and Scott Johnston on a boys edition, as well as Cody Brady and Scott on a girls edition. Each week, they review the best games, look forward to the week ahead, break down top teams and players, and name a player of the week!

Congratulations to last week’s players of the week:

Colonial League: Tessa Seagreaves

EPC: Sam Baker